Lockport, Illinois

b. 1936

Our kids at Interlochen

When we discovered Interlochen in the summer of 1978, we discovered a place of excitement,
mystique and magic that was focused on gifted young musicians. We were captured by its charm immediately.

We had arrived there on Monday about noon. We were on a vacation trip with our kids that took us
clockwise around Lake Michigan from Illionis. Shirley had read about Interlochen in the Chicago
Magazine a few months before, and we scheduled a stay at Interlochen that would last from Monday
to Saturday. Our home for a few days would be the "Ohio" cabin out on Watertower road.

Tuesday morning we walked to the Stone Student Center for breakfast. "We" included Mike, 13; Patricia, 12;
and Jimmy, 9. As we approached "Stone," I recognized the sounds coming from the Kresge Auditorium.
Kids (!) were rehearsing "Pines of Rome." I had spent many hours at Purdue
studying while listening to "Pines" on my stereo earphones. Now, high school kids were playing this piece!
The side openings of Kresge were lined with brass players, and on-stage was this huge orchestra
called "WYSO" and a kid playing the Kresge organ. But the sound didn't sound like kids. The sound
exceeded that of my stereo earphones. What kind of place is this?